Faucets typically comprise mechanical parts to control the temperature and flow of water. In many situations, a mechanical valve controls the hot and cold water inlets through one or more faucet handles. Typically, a user manipulates the mechanical valve to adjust hot/cold mix and water flow by maneuvering faucet handle(s). Due to the mechanical connection between the handle and valve, the faucet body typically must be sized to accommodate these mechanical components. The bulk of these components presents challenges in faucet designs.
With kitchen faucets, for example, attempts have been made to slim down the faucet body to create a more aesthetically pleasing design, but even these slim designs are dictated to a great extent by the need to include the mechanical valve in the faucet body, which is necessary to manipulate the temperature and flow of water. As a result, many components of kitchen faucets, such as the mechanical valve, are located above the kitchen countertop. This can make kitchen faucets bulky to some extent to allow room for the mechanical components.